2
1
Santa Mike-
cA Christmas
Convict Story
Or T. C. DRIDQE3
4
8 THE December
night closed across
the desolate moor,
the snow ceased
falling, the clouds
broke, and a bril
liant moon shed Its
silver light across
the wide stretches
of rolling white
ness. With the
change, It began
to freeze fiercely,
coating the sodden
drifts with a crisp
film of Ice,
At every step
Mike Dempsey's
tired feet broke
through this coating, and sank deep
Into soft stuff beneath, making the
traveling so terribly hard that, in
pite of the bitter cold, perspiration
tood In beads on his thin, brown
face.
He was breathing hard, and evi
dently desperately w1iry, yet he nev
er stopped for a moment, though now
nd then, as hn plowed his way on-,
wards, he would turn his head and
ast an apprehensive glance back
0Tt his shoulder
Had anyone been near enough to
watch him, they would easily have un
derstood his hasle. The drab livery
plentifully besprinkled with broad ar
rows marked him as one of the stale's
unwilling guest's. As a matter of fact.
Mike Dempsey had been for the last
three years a prison Inmote, and it
was with the intention of escaping an
other seven years of unappreciated
hospitality that he had, a tew hours
previously, "done a bunk" under cov
er of the sudden snowstorm.
"I've puzzled thlni screws, that's
wan thing sure," he muttered to him
self, and In spite of his fatigue a
Hght chuckle escaped his thin lips.
"But faith, I've puzzled mesllf, too,
And I don't know where I am no more
taan Adam.
"If I cud only git a landmark of
some sort!" he went on. "Eanst I
cud find my road to the railway, I'd
win clear. Mike Dempsey wasn't a
fiawy alven years for nothing.
Ha crunched his slow way across
flat valley. Jumped a little brook anr"
pushed up the steep slope beyond.
Jf CUT GLASS
HOSIERY
If 14 SHOES
...
a gleam of light In the neit valley
attracted bla attention. It came
from a lighted window, and there waa
something comforting to the lonely
fugitive In the red glow cast upon
the glittering snow. Without heslta
tlon, he started downhill toward tt.
Presently he waa cautiously ap
proaching a small house, which stood
In a tiny garden surrounded by a low
dry stone wsll. There wss a gate In
front, but Mlko preferred to approach
It Was a Man Lying Flat on His Face.
irom the back, and clambering gin
gerly over the wall crept up to the
window from which the light came.
Kulbiug nlmself till his bead was
on a level with the sill, he peered
through the uncurtained window into
i barely furnished living room, light
ed by a groat fire of glowing turf.
A couth stood in one corner, on
wnt'-h iay a youngish man whose ban
.1;iroi fload showed him to be the
victlii of some nceldent. On a chair
.wRld'. dim sat. a sweet-faced worn
in, and on ne bare earthen floor
oiaveit two children a curlv-halred
ooy of about seven, and a chubby gtrl
. vejr or ho vouneer.
nut what am stpd Mines attention
:,3 ,i little fir tree not more than
-Kir fi ill st'. iMi-n fit.onit tilanted
" pi. .-.la oi"V' m no" mi the
- -1 r ( flu-
', h in- Ui'f
i "hti re
m
Everything is arranged to make it easy for you to make
THE
HORACE
BOGUE
STORE
-Jgm
to get something that will give bar a
great amount ot pleasure and which I
can use later on as a pipe cleaner or a
pair of auspendors!"
The pale young woman fainted, so I
moved over.
At another counter another young
lady sold to me: "Have you been
waited on?"
"No," 1 replied; "1 have been
stepped on, sat on and walked on, but
I nave not yet been waited on."
"What do you. wish?" Inquired the
young woman.
"I am looking for a Christmas pres
ent for friend wife," be aald. "1 want
to buy her something that will bring
great Joy to her heart, and which I
might use afterward aa a pair ot slip
pers or a shaving mug."
The young lady caught nte with "her
dreamy eyes and held me up against
the wall.
"You,' she screamed, "you complete
a total of 25,493 people who have been
in this department store today without
knowing what they are doing here,
and I refuse to be a human encylope
dia for the sake of eight dollars a
weok. Go on. now; throw yourself in
to second speed and climb the hill!"
1 began to apologize, but she
reached down under the counter and
pulled out a club.
"This," she said, with a wild look
In her side lamps, "this Is happy Yule
tide, but. nevertheless, the next guy
that leaves his brains at home and
tries to make me tell him what Is a
'good Christmas present for his wife
will get a bitter wallop across the
forehead!"
The girl was right, bo I went home
without a present
I suppose I'll have to tase Hep'stlp
and get those emeralds after all.
But first I'll go down to the deli
catessen store and see If there's any
thing there.
THE MYSTERY OF CHRISTMAS
One Day of the Year That All Other
Days Are Learning to Envy
and Imitate.
It seems to me that always, as the
24th of December commenced to
shorten, the white, fleecy snow began
to fall, says a writer In the Crafts
man. When the street lamps flick
ered up like candles on an altar, they
gazed on a world that was white. The
strife of the city was muffled. Carts
went by, but you had to peer out
througn the blinds to know that they
were passing they made no sound.
An atmosphere of gentleness had de
scended. Everyone In the house went
about with stealth, as though planning
some secret kindness.
And then the night and the trying
to keep awake till Santa Claus should
come. And tne waking up, with the
frost weaving patterns on the panes.
Somewhere far away a harp was be
ing played, and a cornet was challeng
ing the silence. The tuno they played
HORACE
Santa Claus' Headquarters
DOLLS
DOLL Bl OUIBS
CHINA
NECKWEAR
COM Y SLIPPERS
In Our Basement
was ait accompaniment to IheTnost
beautiful legend In the world. At
first, dreamily, you tried to remember
why for once the darkness wssnot
frightening, and then. "Ah, it's Christ
mas!" As you turned, your feet made
the paper crack, and at the end of the
bed you were too content and happy
even to look at your presents. Why
was It that next day everybody and
everything waa different? The air was
full of bells singing riotously. Every
one, for this one day. ceased to think
of his own happiness and found hap
piness In bringing cheerfulness to
others. The stern gulf which Is fixed
between children and grown-ups had
vanished there weren't any grown
ups. Somewhere In your childish
heart you wondered why every day
couldn't be made a day of kindness.
And that wonder of a child's heart
Is the Christmas mescage. Once a
year, by a divine conspiracy, all the
ships of our hopes and fears turn back
from their voyaglngs to the harbor of
tenderness. They are borne back on
the crest of a white tide of mysticism
that sweeps round the world. A truce
of Ood is declared to all fightings, and
men and women walk as children
through a world that Is kind. They
commence to give and cease to annex;
they act In the belief that God Is in
his heaven. The spirit is one tremu
lous w hite day of unselfishness a -day
which gradually some other days in
the year are learning to envy and Imitate.
Why We Burn Candles.
The custom ot burning candles on
the Christinas tree comes from two
sources. The Romans burned candles
at the feast of Saturn as a sign of good
cheer, while the Jews burned candles
during the feast of the Dedication,
which happened to fall about the same
time as that of Saturn In the Roman
calendar. It Is quite possible that
for this reason there would have been
many candles burning all over Pales
tine about the time of the birth of
Christ, and from this comes the term
"Feast of Lights," which ts the name
used in the Greek church for Christ
mas day.
A Christmas Hint.
To those who may have become
tired of the old-fashioned games usual
at Christmas the following may be
found suitable:
Hunt up a lot of poor oeople that
nave not got any Cnristaias dinner
and go and give them one.
N. B. This game e nv be played
ny any number of persoi.s
Welcome to Christmas!
hnstmas crovn o tbo eai ! Hold
n ctasp to its round of light and
na'iow. iroiv tne ooV of tt shall
out. p i" i oanisn peace I
o'i.)i"p if roNVy. Spread
t;11 !.. ;( Vf f '"!St Ot good
mswrnmt
BOGUE
Cood-by, Old Year!
GOOD-BY, Old Year! Willi
words of grace,
Leave us with him who takes
your place.
And say. Old Year, unto the
New,
"Kindly, carefully, carry triem
through,
For much, I ween, they have
yet to do."
John Godfrey Saxe.
Their Resolutions.
They were young as April as they
pressed close to a window full of won
derful confections.
"What bad habits are you going to
give up this New Year?" he asked.
"You," she answered briefly; "what
bad habits are you going to give up?"
"Letting you have your own way,"
he responded firmly, "so our engage
ment stands."
"Very well, then, go in and buy me
that heart-shaped box of candy." And
both New Year resolutions went the
way of their kind.
The Old and the New.
Another year has joined his shad
owy fellows In the wide and voiceless
desert of the past, where, from the
eternal hour-glass forever fall the
sands of time. Another year, with all
Its joy and grief, of birth and death,
of failure and success, of love and
hate. And now, the first day of the
new o'erarcheB all. Standing between
the burled and the babe, we cry,
"Farewell and hall!" Robert G. Inger-
STORE
Games
rocking horses
glassware
bath robes
dancing puhps
your selections.
SANTA
CLAUS
NEW YEAR "NEVER AGAINS"
Suggestions for Husbands, Wives an
All Lovers, Married or Single,
That Ara Timely. sjB-
If you haven't thought up any, hereM
axe a few timely suggestions:
For hubby: Never again to spend
A moment out of the presence of the
wife unaccompanied by a trustworthy
guardian appointed by her, who wljl -report
faithfully all of your doing
even to the Irregular quiver of an eye
lash, or the drinking of soda Instead
of buttermilk.
Never again to be such a brute y
to want to stay at home when tt
wife wishes to go out, or to wish U
go out by yourself when wine de
sires you to stay at home In the bos
om of your family.
Never again to growl, grumble or
swear, or pretend to be asleep when
the wife pokes you In the back and
asks you to walk with the baby tn
the middle of the night.
Never again to threaten to forbid
tradespeople to allow the wife credit
if she Bin! the girls do not cease their
extravagance when the monthly Ills
come In.
Never again to forget to peck wine
on the cheek upon leaving her in the
morning and coming home at night,
to tell her that her frightful new I on
net Is a perfect gem, and that her
"fourteen year-old" short dress is al
together too old-looking for her youth
ful figure,
For wide: Never again to make .
biscuit for breakfast until you have
tried them on your own digestion for
a few weeks In the absence of the
rest Of the family.
Never again to notice pa exchang
ing glances with the pretty girl across
the aisle all the way downtown.
Never again to keep the. sights
turned on when pa has been detained
downtown "on business," In order to
see what time be gets home, or to
Insist on his kissing you that you may
smell his breath.
Never again to come to the table
with hair In crimpers and wearing a
soiled kimono.
Never again to subject pa to spells
of lachrymose reproaches, telling him
that he doesn't love you any more.
For lovers, married or single: Never
to miss an opportunity to tell the dear
old story over and over again.
Never to lose the coquettish eln
slveness that makes lovers so delight
ful to each other.
Never again to spend the sweets of
young lover souls in cheap flirtations
when there is such a world of real
happiness at your command.
Never to become insensible to th
delicious tremblings and fluttering s of
your own heart, or to become lax in
all of those lovely attention s' and giv
ngs that help to keep a keen response
in the hnnrt of the beloved.
h:
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